Prohibition serves as an excellent example of a public policy based on hopes and desires rather than on logic and common sense. Every proposed policy should always be examined in terms of its possible unintended outcomes and every existing policy should be examined an evaluated in terms of its effectiveness and absence of undesirable unintended consequences.
I. Prohibition in the U.S. Was prohibition conservative or liberal? National prohibition existed in the U.S. from early 1920 to late 1933. That’s almost 14 years. It’s also been tried in many countries. For example, in Russia under Lenin and in Finland, Norway, and India. Conservative? Columbia University’s Richard Hofstadter published Age of Reform in 1955. …
Prohibition and Progressives were closely connected. In fact, the Progressive Movement strongly promoted prohibition. The Progrssive Era was between about 1890 and 1920. It was a reaction to social problems caused by industrialization, political corruption, and other developments. Progressives wanted to create an ideal society. Their approach was to reduce individualism and increase the power …
This Prohibition dictionary and glossary is a guide to terms and organizations related to National Prohibition (1920-1933) in the U.S. It does not list people. Alcohol Alcohol refers to ethyl alcohol or ethanol, the type found in alcohol beverages. It is also commonly used to refer to alcohol beverage in general. The word alcohol …
The Woman’s National Committee for Law Enforcement was a federation of Protestant women’s organizations. It formed in 1922 to promote more vigorous enforcement of Prohibition laws. Organized at both the national and state levels, it claimed membership of twelve million women by 1932. Note that it is often spelled the Women’s National Committee for Law …
Lillian Sedwick was state head of the Indiana Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She was also state leader of the Indiana Women of the Ku Klux Klan (WKKK). Sedwick became state head of the Indiana WKKK when she replaced Daisy Douglass Barr. Reverend Barr was another WKKK and WCTU leader As a KKK-supported candidate, Ms. Sedwick …
The LaMontages brothers were high society bootleggers during National Prohibition (1920-1933). There were four brothers – Rene, Montaigu, William and Morgan. High Society The LaMontages brothers were descendants of affluent French vintners and inherited their father’s company. They were also members of exclusive social clubs in Manhattan and Long Island. The brothers were related by …
Longtime leader of the Prohibition Party, Earl Dodge, Jr., was born in Malden, Massachusetts on December 24, 1932. He joined the Party at age 19. Later, he became chair of the Prohibition Party in 1979. It was while the party was operating under the name of the National Statesmen Party. It re-instated the Prohibition Party …
Edward Donegan was an odd-job laborer in 1919. However, in 1920, he became a millionaire within about four months through his bootlegging scheme. See Also Temperance Movement Groups and Leaders in the U.S. Prohibition: the Noble Experiment Puritans to Prohibition National Prohibition of Alcohol in the U.S. A Social History of Alcohol During National Prohibition …
The American Issue Publishing Company was the publishing house of the Anti-Saloon League of America. Westerville, Ohio was a small town near Columbus. In 1909, its residents of gave a site valued at about $10,000 to the Anti-Saloon League. It was for the site of a printing plant. Workers started and completed the building that same …
The American Temperance Union (ATU) began in 1836. Its goal was to promote temperance. In doing so it published the Journal of the American Temperance Union for adults. And for young people it published Youth’s Temperance Advocate. In addition the Union published books, reports, pamphlets and other materials. All printings promoted the temperance movement. Temperance …
